1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover unit including a slidable cover for protecting an object to be covered, such as a camera lens, and to a mobile terminal including the cover unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 35 to 38 illustrate examples of existing cover mechanisms for preventing damage or breakage of an object to be covered, such as a camera lens, and for preventing entry of dust and particulates into the object to be covered.
FIGS. 35 and 36 illustrate a camera apparatus including a camera body 100 having a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped shape and a cover 101 disposed on a visible surface of the case of the camera body 100. The cover 101 of the camera apparatus is slidable in a direction indicated by an arrow M100 of FIG. 36. When the cover 101 is in a closed position illustrated in FIG. 35, a camera lens 102 is covered with the cover 101 and the camera apparatus is protected. When the cover 101 is in an open position illustrated in FIG. 36, the camera lens 102 is exposed to the outside and the camera apparatus is ready for taking pictures.
FIGS. 37 and 38 illustrate a camera apparatus including a cover 111 that is substantially flush with a visible surface of the case of a camera body 110 when the cover 111 covers a camera lens 112 as illustrated in FIG. 37. The cover 111 of the camera apparatus is slidable in a direction indicated by an arrow M110 of FIG. 38. When the cover 111 is in a closed position illustrated in FIG. 37, the camera lens 112 is covered with the cover 111 and the camera apparatus is protected. On the other hand, when the cover 111 is in an open position illustrated in FIG. 38, the camera lens 112 is exposed to the outside and the camera apparatus is ready for taking pictures.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007-65443 (FIG. 2), 2005-311989 (FIG. 3), and 2001-309003 (FIG. 1), for example, disclose other types of cover mechanisms for protecting an object to be covered, such as a camera lens.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-65443 discloses a lens cover structure including a slider that is a substrate on which a camera cover is mounted and that engages with and slides along a slide groove, a plate spring unit that engages with a recess formed in one of the side surfaces of the slider in a width direction, and a plate spring unit that engages with a recess formed in the other of the side surfaces of the slider.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-311989 discloses a mobile product including an apparatus body and a slide cover that is movably attached to the apparatus body so as to cover and exposed a functional portion of the apparatus body.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-309003 discloses a mobile phone apparatus in which a protective cover is provided to a camera in a mobile phone body, a linear protrusion for sliding is provided to a protective cover, and a groove for sliding is provided to the mobile phone body, so that the protective cover can be moved along the groove.